The present invention relates to thermostats and, in particular, to thermostats having the capability of receiving and transmitting information to other control devices.
Thermostats have heretofore transmitted and received information from other control devices as is exemplified by the thermostat of U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,668. Such thermostats have moreover been used to communicate with an energy provider for the purpose of implementing a cost-effective control of a heating, ventilating and air conditioning system. Such a thermostat is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,776. The thermostat in U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,776 may receive information from the energy provider requesting that one or more setpoints locally entered into the thermostat be replaced with temperature setpoints by the energy provider. U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,776 moreover discloses that the information provided by the energy provider may also include times when the setpoints will be in effect. The thermostat is moreover capable of displaying the aforementioned information so as to afford an occupant of the room in which the thermostat has been placed an opportunity to override the energy provider's setpoints. In the event that an override is not elected, the thermostat substitutes the energy provider's setpoints for the locally entered setpoints.
The above described thermostat requires a total surrendering of the preferred locally entered setpoints in favor of the energy provider's setpoints in the event that an override is not elected. The occupant of the room is not afforded an opportunity to proceed forward with his or her locally entered setpoints subject only to an energy saving modification thereto.